Colleen Southwell Holiday Gift List
Colleen Southwell, The Garden Curator, is an Australian artist and garden maker with a background in horticulture and garden design. Her tin cottage studio is settled in her garden on the rural property she shares with her farmer husband and sons, surrounded by the bush landscape that inspires her. Colleen creates finely detailed and delicate paper sculptures of botanical, entomology and ornithology subjects, each piece celebrating beauty in nature both wild and cultivated, and encouraging moments of pause to observe and consider. Her work is shown and collected in Australia and internationally and her garden is shared on occasion with visiting tour groups.
Colleen shares her garden and art-making through writing and images on her website; www.thegardencurator.com.au, and via her newsletter and Instagram @thegardencurator
Photo above by Em Woollen
Colleen’s gift ideas for this Christmas Season
These beautiful boots by Wootten are handmade in Melbourne, timeless shoes that would last a lifetime! Definitely one of the rich tan or cognac colours for me.
Sustainable Wool
Ethical outback is a woolen goods maker based on a sheep station in western NSW, and the quality of their products is sublime. I have a few of their pieces though always keen for more, maybe the magnolia jumper next. Coonong Station is the first sheep property in Australia with strictly enforced international humane accreditation, they are leaders in the future of this beautiful fibre and grow all the wool for their products on farm.
Ottimade pottery
Ilona Glastonbury of Ottimade makes the most beautiful pottery pieces. I always have one of her paint palettes beside me in the studio and keen to gather more.
Whenever I’m in the studio I have a candle burning, and one of my favourite makers is Quandialla Candle Co. Made from natural ingredients in her workshop in the small rural village of Quandialla, Sarah Ryan puts together fragrances that are beautifully reminiscent of the Australian bush. I have a collection and can’t resist new releases!
On the subject of candles, Southern Wild co makes a range that beautifully weaves a story with scent. This Wild Garden gift set includes three of my favourite fragrances and I’d love to find it under the tree.
I’d love a collection of handmade garden tools by FD Ryan. Forged from carbon steel these tools are handcrafted in Australia carrying on three generations of tool making. I’d start with the heart trowel for the veggie patch, and the prepping forks also look like a super way to aerate garden beds without disturbing soil structure.
A hat by Fiona Schofield
Fiona Schofield is a milliner here in my hometown who works from a little studio in her back garden. Her hats are beautiful, the silk ribbons divine. I’d love one just for working in the garden - if I could bring myself to get it dirty! If I could pick any it would be this classic straw, Over the Fields.
Mel Eliades from Clay Beehive in rural Victoria makes gorgeous ceramics, her vases are a favourite. Every piece is different and her work is always evolving. She lists new batches every now and again and it’s worth being on the mailing list to grab them when you can! I am loving the Anjali vase.
Eva’s Sunday linen clothing
Eva’s Sunday makes linen clothing designed and handmade here in Australia and of the most beautiful quality. Their venture into Liberty fabrics has me coveting the Marguerite skirt for swirling around Christmas garden parties, a glass of chilled Australian Orange Region wine in hand.
Photography prints
Claire Takacs is a brilliant Australian photographer known for her photographs of gardens across the globe. In addition to contributing to many stunning books (including her recent release, Wild with Noel Kingsbury), she also sells prints including this one of the stunning Hillandale Garden, the home and work of my gardening friend and inspiration, Sarah Ryan (a different Sarah Ryan to Quandialla candles!).
Christmas isn’t Christmas without a book under the tree. Garden Gathered is a new book by small Australian Publisher The Flowerpress, and follows the path of Western Australian flower grower Helen Leighton. I’m thinking it would be the perfect way to spend a lazy Boxing Day when it’s too hot to be outside.
